1-Stop Dictionary Reference

Tetanus

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

n. An acute, often fatal disease characterized by spasmodic contraction of voluntary muscles, especially those of the neck and jaw, and caused by the toxin of the bacillus Clostridium tetani, which typically infects the body through a deep wound. Also called lockjaw.

n. Physiology A state of continuous muscular contraction, especially when induced artificially by rapidly repeated stimuli.

Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

n. A serious and often fatal disease caused by the infection of an open wound with the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani, found in soil and the intestines and faeces of animals.

n. A state of muscle tension caused by sustained contraction arising from a rapid series of nerve impulses which do not allow the muscle to relax.

the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. A painful and usually fatal disease, resulting generally from a wound, and having as its principal symptom persistent spasm of the voluntary muscles. When the muscles of the lower jaw are affected, it is called locked-jaw, or lickjaw, and it takes various names from the various incurvations of the body resulting from the spasm.

n. That condition of a muscle in which it is in a state of continued vibratory contraction, as when stimulated by a series of induction shocks.

The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

n. A disease characterized by a more or less violent and rigid spasm of many or all of the muscles of voluntary motion. ; ; ;

n. In physiology, the state or condition of prolonged contraction which a muscle assumes under rapidly repeated stimuli.

WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

n. a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses

n. an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages

Word Usage

"In developed countries tetanus is typically thought of as infecting wounds in adults who have injured themselves; however, in the developing world many infants suffer from neonatal tetanus."

Hypernym

Words that are more generic or abstract

contraction muscular contraction muscle contraction infection

Cross Reference

artificial tetanus acoustic tetanus ritter' s tetanus infantile tetanus tetanus bacillus

Variant

locked-jaw lickjaw

Form

tetany tetanal tetanic

Synonym

Words with the same meaning

Characterized by locked jaw

Same Context

Words that are found in similar contexts

diphtheria tubercle anthrax botulinum typhoid